Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is
necessary that he hold the Catholic faith. Which
faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled,
without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
And
the Catholic faith is this, that we worship one God
in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither
confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of
the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the
Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty
coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son,
and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the
Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The
Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible,
and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father
eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost
eternal. And yet they are not three Eternals, but
one Eternal. As there are not three Uncreated nor
three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one
Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is
almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost
almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but
one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God,
and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not
three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is
Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet
not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are
compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge
every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, So are
we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, There
be three Gods, or three Lords.
The
Father is made of none: neither created nor
begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made,
nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the
Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created,
nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one
Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons;
one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this
Trinity none is before or after other; none is
greater or less than another; But the whole three
Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that
in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity
and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He,
therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the
Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting
salvation that he also believe faithfully the
incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right
faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of
the Substance of the Father, begotten before the
worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born
in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a
reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to
the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to
the Father as touching His manhood; Who, although He
be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ:
One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh,
but by taking the manhood into God; One altogether;
not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of
Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one
man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for
our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the
third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He
sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God
Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the
quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall
rise again with their bodies, and shall give an
account of their own works. And they that have done
good shall go into life everlasting; and they that
have done evil, into everlasting fire.
This
is the catholic faith; which except a man believe
faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved. |